1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a head module incorporating linear motors, and more particularly to a head module having a plurality of linear motors applied to the head module and arranged to be interlaced with each other, thereby providing smaller head module in size and higher thrust, as well as fast and precisely controlled movement of the heads.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
With the advancement of technologies for fabricating semiconductor devices, the mass production of highly integrated semiconductor devices becomes made possible. There has been provided a surface mounting apparatus for meeting the need to fast and precisely mount such semiconductor devices into the printed circuit board (PCB).
The surface mounting apparatus comprises a feeder for supplying electronic components, a head for receiving the electronic component supplied from the feeder, a transferring means for moving the head carrying the electronic component and mounting the electronic component onto the PCB, and a carrier means for transferring the PCB. The surface mounting apparatus thus structured will be described below, with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a front view of a conventional surface mounting apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus comprises a base cabinet 50, a pair of Y frames 52 arranged on the base frame 50, and an X frame 54 bridging the two Y frames 52. A head module 10 is located at a predetermined position of the X frame 54. The pick and place operation of the head module 10 seats the electronic component 58 supplied from a tape feeder 60 onto the PCB 56. A vision device 62 is used to properly position the electronic component at its origin location, and then the head module 10 mounts the electronic component onto the PCB 56.
FIG. 2 shows a front view of the conventional head module shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the head module 10 comprises a plurality of heads 11, 12, 13, 14 each of which employs each linear motor. The heads 11, 12, 13, 14 have the linear motors 11a, 12a, 13a and 14a, air valves 11b, 12b, 13b, 14b and hollow shafts 11c, 12c, 13c, 14c, respectively.
To pick and hold the electronic component, the heads 11, 12, 13, 14 vertically moves the hollow shafts 11c, 12c, 13c, 14c until leading ends of the hollow shafts 11c, 12c, 13c, 14c arrive at positions where the electronic components to be mounted are present. After the movements of the heads, air is controllably taken in through the air valves 11b, 12b, 13b, 14b, and then supplied into the hollow shafts 11c, 12c, 13c, 14c, so that the electronic components can be picked or seated at the predefined locations.
The heads of the head module 10 as described above are arranged to be separated at a constant distance xe2x80x98mxe2x80x99, as shown in FIG. 2. The constantly maintained distance between the heads limits the dimension of the linear motors 11a, 12b, 13a, 14a, thus results in the provision of limited thrust from the motors.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a head module in which a plurality of linear motors, applied to the head module for the surface mounting apparatus, are arranged to be interlaced with each other, and thus provides smaller head module in size and higher thrust, as well as fast and precisely controlled movement of the heads.
According to the present invention, there is provided a head module for use in a surface mounting apparatus and having a plurality of heads, the head module comprising: a plurality of heads each employing a linear motor as a driving source for vertically moving each of hollow shaft; the plurality of hollow shafts for holding surface-mounted parts; and a plurality of linear motors having the plurality of hollow shafts mounted therein and for vertically moving the shafts, respectively, wherein the linear motors are arranged to be interlaced with each other.
According to the present invention, there is provided a head module in which a plurality of linear motors, applied to the head module for the surface mounting apparatus, are arranged to be interlaced with each other, and thus provides smaller head module in size and higher thrust, as well as fast and precisely controlled movement of the head.